Best Films of 1979

Being There
Salem's Lot
The Rose
Scum
Rich Kids
Manhattan
Quadrophenia
Norma Rae
The China Syndrome
Breaking Away
Alien
The Wanderers
Time After Time
Apocalypse Now
The Jerk
Bloody Kids
Mad Max
Elvis
Over the Edge
The Warriors
Rock 'n' Roll High School
Radio On

 

Fassbinder's masterpiece The Marraige of Maria Braun was made in that year., the rest are honourable mentions.

 

Over The Edge

 

"Richard Pryor: Live In Concert" deserves mention here. Brilliant and riotously funny, it still remains the greatest comedy stand-up performance I've ever seen.

Aaron

 

I was ushering at General Cinema in 1979. I remember when Life of Brian was released. The manager told us the church (catholic) was going to picket the movie. Opening night one priest and 3 nuns showed up and then after that we never saw them again. Also 1941 was going to be a blockbuster. They triple shifted us, there were so many candy girls and ushers for the 1941 showtimes that we all sat around. It’s amazing how after the first weekend the crowds shrank for that movie, word of mouth was huge back before social media!
A few movies really stick out now after all these years. “10”, at the time it was all about Bo Derek, but now I can relate to it and find it much more enjoyable and kind of a downer of a movie about a midlife crisis. A very underrated movie is Starting Over with Burt Reynolds and Jill Clayburgh. It’s another middle aged crisis movie. I love 1941, probably cause i ushered it! I recently showed this to my 10 year old son and he loved it too. It’s fun with a great cast.
My absolute fave movies from 1979 are Life Of Brian and In-Laws. I ushered both of them and can almost recite entire sections. As ushers we would have to check into the theaters from time to time (make sure no one was sneaking in!) In the back of theater you would find 3 ushers standing with our brooms and laughing. (we used brooms to sweep the lobby.) I also ushered the Main Event, Streisand /O’Neal screwball boxing movie, another fun movie that I still watch at least once a year. Do they still make screwball comedies?

1. In-Laws
2. “10”
3. Life Of Brian
4. Starting Over
5. Manhattan
6. 1941
7. The Main Event
8. Alien
9. The Brood
10. The Last Embrace

 

Real Life is my favorite movie of 1979

 

'79 was a great year for horror...Alien, Amityville Horror, Prophecy, Phantasm, Zombi 2. Even though it was a year after Halloween (78) and Friday the 13th was right around the corner, it hadn't yet degenerated into "slasher franchise" territory.

 

Kramer vs. Kramer...….

 

I agree on both, Starting Over is a real comedy sleeper, Burt is really good at playing downtrodden (minus his 'stache!) and jill clayburghs singing scene is hilarious.....just bad enough while still obvious shes trying lol... and 1941 aint nearly as bad as its rep!

 

Well, I watched Rust Never Sleeps like 6-7 times!

I can’t defend it as a great film, but it contains some of my favorite rock and roll performances ever!

 

Life Of Brian
Manhattan
Apocalypse Now
Nosferatu, The Vampyre
The Tin Drum
James Bond: Moonraker
The Electric Horseman
Hair

 

1979.....................a time when going to the movies on Friday night was still magical.

Maybe the best year ever for moviegoing. I certainly love the style of that time.

My Top Dozen

1. Meatballs
2. Breaking Away
3. Dawn of the Dead
4. Tourist Trap
5. Being There
6. Alien
7. The Jerk
8. Apocalypse Now
9. Scavenger Hunt
10. The Muppet Movie
11. Time After Time
12. The Frisco Kid

 

At the top of my list are The Black Stallion and Breaking Away.

 

My top 3:

1. Apocalypse Now
2. Kramer vs. Kramer
3. Norma Rae

 

Working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week left no time for going to the movies, but I've since discovered Being There, via The Criterion Collection Blu ray, and it's pure genius.

 

Ever heard of the 40-hour work week?

 

Those long hours are how MYKE was able to retire early!

 

Not early, 30+ years, different employer.

Factory work, not for sissys.

 

I looked at them all
Honestly, based on enjoyment factor:

Apocalypse Now
Alien
Real Life (Albert Brooks mock documentary)

 

North Dallas Forty
The Onion Field
Alien
Apocalypse Now
Time After Time
Norma Rae
The Great Santini
Love at First Bite
Escape from Alcatraz
The China Syndrome
Kramer vs. Kramer
The Brood
Nosferatu the Vampyre
Murder by Decree
and:

I'm not going to lie: Caligula 1979

 

Winter Kill is coming out on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber in November.

 

One thing I hated when I started factory work as a young man. I was smarter than some of the supervisors.
Factory work at the time, promoted employees almost more for just staying there than for knowledge.
Lot's of times the Supervisor was not nearly as smart as some seasoned mechanics who just didn't want
to be supervisors.
I guess I should be grateful to those supervisors, I realized what was going on and went back to college.
I did enjoy some of the camaraderie with the Instrument Technicians at the time.

 

LOL...

 

1979 was a great year! I enjoyed most of the movies mentioned!

 

1. Being There
2. Apocalypse Now
3. The Black Stallion
4. Alien
5. The Jerk

Honorable Mention

Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro